Scoot Blog: New Orleans -- We kneaux who we can be!

For the past week we have all witnessed our city perform like a champion!

Without intending to criticize other cities, how can anyone not believe that New Orleans is the BEST place to host a Super Bowl? Or, any big event for that matter.

As a downtown resident, I watched the changes as the city got ready for the Super Bowl and when the weekend started I saw our city ramp up with excitement and become a world-class city performing at a peak level.

This was a perfect moment for New Orleans. While work still remains to be done from Katrina, this city is back and the bright national and international media spotlight that was on us for Super Bowl Week reminded us that the gradual changes over the years have led to a point in time when the world would see that we are not only back, but even better.

CBS and all the networks, the big sponsors, and the NFL spent the money and took the time to make New Orleans the epicenter of the sports and entertainment world. But it was the coordination and dedication of city workers, law enforcement from throughout the area and the many volunteers on the streets and at events that made the Super Bowl so memorable for everyone.

Walking through the CBD and French Quarter every day I noticed that people made eye contact and greeted me even before I could greet them. As a city, our collective attitude and manners during Super Bowl 2013 set the bar for every city in America. We are blessed with an authentic backdrop that provides the perfect set for a Super Bowl or any major event. Our city cannot claim to be #1 in every category, but we are the undisputed champ when it comes to hosting a major event.

As sports teams learn how to be champions through the experience of playing in big games, the city of New Orleans has proven that it has learned how to be a championship city. Like any city, we have problems that must be addressed, but we once again have proven that the content and style of our character cannot be matched.

New Orleans cleaned up and presented itself as a perfect host. We demonstrated the kind of city we can be all the time. You shouldn’t clean up your home and act a certain way only when company comes over – you should be that way all the time. So, New Orleans – let’s all work at treating our city, and each other, the way we do when we have company, but let’s start doing it all the time!